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An All Purpose Plumbers technician working on the supply connections of a gas water heater in a basement
BONDED & INSURED · SINCE 2020
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Water heater replacement in MD, DC and Northern VA

All Purpose Plumbers replaces gas, electric and tankless water heaters in MD, DC and Northern VA. We don't quote a new water heater over the phone. We look at where it sits, how it vents and what fuel it burns, then size, fit and test the new one. The written price holds on install day.

Call (240) 695-4415Request a Free Estimate

Signs it's time to replace

Usually a tank somewhere past eight to twelve years old, or one that has already let go.

  • Water on the floor around the tank
  • Rust in the hot water
  • Ten years or more on the label
  • Hot water so slow to come back that the house has started taking turns in the shower

What changes the price

  • The size and type of the new heater
  • Any gas, electrical or venting changes it needs
  • An expansion tank or a drain pan, if code calls for one

The tank is the easy part

What a new heater costs depends on more than the tank. The size, the venting and the code items all have to be right on the first visit.

Sized to the household
We size it from how many people shower and how the house uses hot water. Whatever size happened to be there before is only a starting point.
Labor included in one price
The heater, the labor, the code items, the permit and hauling the old tank away all go on one written price before work starts.
Tank or tankless, both priced
If tankless is a real option for your house, you see both prices next to each other and decide for yourself.

How every job runs →

Why we don't quote a water heater over the phone

A phone price is a guess at the size, the fuel, the vent, where the heater sits and what the code now asks for. When the guess is low, it gets revised on install day with your old tank already disconnected. We look first, and the written price doesn't move.

If the old heater leaked, the floor or stand under it may be soft. You'll hear about it before the new one goes down.

If you've already bought a tank, give us the brand, the model number and the gallons when you book. We match it to the room, the vent and the fuel up front, so nobody finds a mismatch with the old heater halfway out.

With tankless, the gas line decides more than the size of the family. If the line from the meter would have to be upsized, a properly sized tank is often the better buy, and we'll say so before we price either one.

Before you book a new water heater

The new tank does not fit the space.

A new tank is often wider than the one coming out. We measure it against the closet and the door it has to fit through, and check the venting and the fuel line too.

A tankless pitch costs more than it saves.

Tankless suits some homes. If the gas line has to be upsized from the meter, a well sized tank is often the better buy. We price both side by side.

Extras nobody mentioned.

Gas, electrical and venting changes, plus code items like an expansion tank or a drain pan, are named in the written price before work starts.

The old tank sits in your basement.

We drain the old unit and haul it away. The new one is filled, purged and tested, and before we leave we show you where the shutoff and the relief discharge are.

The best time to replace a water heater around DC

Before the cold, if you can. A plumbing company’s seasonal report puts water heater failures at their worst in December, and a franchising industry article says fall is when homeowners book preventive work. Replace a ten year old tank in October and it’s a planned job. Wait for December and you may be taking cold showers while you shop. See what water heater replacement costs.

Estimates booked seven days a week

Get a free water heater replacement quote

  • Heater, labor, permit and disposal on one price
  • Installs carry our 60 to 90 day warranty plus the maker’s warranty

Or call us

(240) 695-4415

Request Water Heater Replacement

We take insurance jobs. Financing may also be available for qualifying projects. Ask when you call.

How the job runs

  1. 1We size the new heater from how your house uses hot water. The old one's size is only a starting point.
  2. 2We drain the old heater and haul it out.
  3. 3The new one goes in with new connections and a new relief valve, and on gas, venting that meets code.
  4. 4We fill it, purge the air and test it, then show you the shutoff and where the relief valve discharges.

Questions we get about water heater replacement

Should I go tankless while I am replacing it?

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Sometimes. It suits a house that runs hot water for long stretches and has a gas line big enough to feed it, and the install is a bigger job than swapping tank for tank. We price both so you can see the difference.

How long does it take to replace a water heater?

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A like for like tank swap in the same spot is the shortest version. A change of fuel, a new vent, a tankless install, or a heater in an attic or a tight closet takes longer. We don't publish a fixed time. Ask on the walkthrough what your install day looks like. The new heater is filled, purged and tested before we leave.

Can a water heater be replaced on the day it fails?

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We don't promise that. A failed heater that leaves the house without hot water is scheduled within 48 hours, ahead of routine work, and we check where it sits, how it vents and what it burns before we quote the replacement. While you wait, cut the power or gas, and close the cold valve if it is leaking. If your tank is still working but past ten years old, replacing it before it fails is how you skip the wait.

Do I need a permit to replace a water heater in Maryland or Washington DC?

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Yes. Replacing a water heater is permitted work in Maryland, the District and Virginia. In Montgomery and Prince George's counties it falls under WSSC Water's plumbing rules, and in DC the permit comes from the Department of Buildings. The permit and the inspection are on our written estimate, along with who pulls it.

What size water heater does a family of four need?

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Often more than 40 gallons. Four people sharing a morning, with a dishwasher or a load of laundry going at the same time, usually outrun a 40. Count how many showers happen one after another on your busiest day, and tell us whether the current tank already goes cold partway through. We size the new one from how the house uses hot water, with the old one only as a starting point.

Gas or electric water heater, what are the pros and cons?

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Gas heats faster and recovers sooner after a run of showers, but it needs a gas supply and a flue that suit the burner. Electric needs neither, so it is the simpler install and fits condos and closets where a vent can't go, though it reheats more slowly. The cheapest choice is usually the fuel you already have. Switching from electric to gas adds gas piping and venting, and that is quoted as its own project.

What brands of water heaters do plumbers recommend most?

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We don't push one brand. A heater that fits your space, your fuel, your vent and your household matters more than the name on the front. The written estimate spells out the exact unit we plan to fit, so you can look it up and hold it against any other quote. If you already have a brand in mind, send the model number and we check that it fits.

Should a new water heater come with a warranty, and what should it cover?

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It should come with two. The maker's warranty covers the tank and its parts. The installer's warranty covers the work, meaning the connections, the venting and the valves fitted that day. Ours covers the installation for 60 to 90 days depending on the job. Ask who registers the maker's warranty, so it is active from day one.

Send us a photo of the label

A photo of the label on the old heater, plus one of where it sits, is usually enough for us to tell you what size and type the house needs.

Call (240) 695-4415Request a Free Estimate

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